Improvement in tan-vats



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, PATENT GFFIOE.

NOAH SMITH, OF MCALLISTERVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TAN-VATS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 116,766, dated July 4, 1&71.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH SMITH, of McAllisterville, Ain the county of J uniata and in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tan-Vat 5 and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon making a part of this specification.

The nature of my invention consists in connecting a series of tan-vats in such a manner thatthe tanning-liquid will pass from the top of one vat to the bottom of the next vat, and so on in succession until all the strength has been taken out ofthe liquid.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention apporta-ins to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe its con struction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which- Figure l is a plan view, and Fig. 2 a longitudinal vertical section, showing four vats connected by pipes or ways.

A, B, C, and D represent four tan-vats, of any suitable construction, each provided with a false bottom. or grating, E, upon which the hides are placed. These bottoms or gratings are suspended by straps G G, as shown, so as to be adjusted at any desired height within the vat. In the vat A is a pipe or passage, a, leading vertically down to near the bottom of the same. Through this pipe or passage the tanning-liquid is admitted into the vat. The liquid then rising passes through a passage, b', nea-r the top ofthe Vat A, into a pipe or passage, b, in the vat B, so as to allow the liquid to pass into this second vat B at the bottom. In like manner the liquid passes from the top of the second vat B, through passage c and pipe c, to the bottom of the third vat, C, and so on in like manner through as many vats as may be desired.

The green hides, requiring at first weak liquid, are placed in the last vat of the series, while those partially tanned are placed in the intermediate vats, and those nearly completed in the iirst vat, where the liquid is strongest. The liquid in every vat entering at the bottom raises that already therein, which, ofcourse, is weaker than the liquid entering, thus allowing the weaker liquid to pass out into the next vat, and here the still weaker liquid is forced into the next vat, and so on. In this manner all the vats in a tan-yard may be kept running at the same time; and if the liquid is kept in a constant stream it gradually becomes strongerthat is, the hides, at first absorbing more of the strength of the liquid, afterward do not take up as much, and

hence the longer it runs the stronger it is from one vat to the other.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A series of tan-vats, A B C D, provided with movable and adjustable bottoms E E, and so arranged that the tanning-liquid may iiow from the top of one to the bottom of the next vat, substantially as herein set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of June, 1871.

NOAH SMITH.

Witnesses:

A. N. MARR, C. L. Evnnr. 

